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The Ajax Stakes is a Group 2 race run over 1500m at Rosehill Gardens on Coolmore Classic Day as a lead-up to the Doncaster Mile.
The Ajax Stakes is a 1500m quality handicap clash run during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. The minimum weight is 52kg, while some horses may have to carry up to 61kg. Held at Sydney’s Rosehill Racecourse in March on Coolmore Classic Day the Ajax Stakes offers $300,000 in prize money.
2026 Ajax Stakes Results
Stay tuned for the official 2026 Ajax Stakes results and finishing order at Rosehill on Saturday March 14, 2026 and to see which runners are heading into the Doncaster Mile!
- 1st: No. 8 Cristal Clear ($5.50)
- 2nd: No. 3 Robusto
- 3rd: No. 7 Enxuto
Winning Margin: 0.16 lengths
Winning Time: 1:29.62
The progressive Annabel & Rob Archibald-trained four-year-old Exceedance gelding Cristal Clear ($5.50) kicked off his autumn in style when handing apprentice hoop Braith Nock his first stakes success in the 2026 Ajax Stakes results in Sydney. The winner came from an on-pace run sitting third at the top of the straight before letting down well down the inside rail before hitting the front inside the final furlong and holding off the challenge by Robusto to secure a ballot free ride into the Doncaster Mile field on April 4 where he will carry just 50kg. He has firmed in from $101 to $34 in futures Doncaster Mile betting at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Ajax Stakes 2026 Results
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1st
8. Cristal Clear (3)
J: Braith Nock 53kg
T: Annabel & Rob Archibald |
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2nd
3. Robusto (5)
J: Tim Clark 57kg
T: Bjorn Baker |
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3rd
7. Enxuto (2)
J: Tyler Schiller 53kg
T: Robbie Griffiths |
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4th
4. Sandpaper (4)
J: Jason Collett 56.5kg
T: Bjorn Baker |
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5th
2. Militarize (1)
J: James McDonald 57.5kg
T: Chris Waller |
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6th
5. Willaidow (7)
J: Chad Schofield 56kg
T: Marc & Mitchell Conners |
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7th
6. Lord Penman (10)
J: Zac Lloyd 53kg
T: Chris Waller |
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8th
10. Portland (6)
J: Kerrin Mcevoy 53kg
T: Matthew Smith |
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9th
9. War Eternal (9)
J: Rachel King 53kg
T: Bjorn Baker |
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10th
1. Globe (11)
J: Tommy Berry 59kg
T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr |
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11th
11. Thunderlips (8)
J: Dylan Gibbons 53kg
T: Bjorn Baker |
The Group 2 Ajax Stakes is considered a lead-up event to the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) held on the first Saturday in April on Day 1 of Royal Randwick’s ‘The Championships’. The last horse to win the Ajax Stakes – Doncaster Mile double was It’s Somewhat (2017).
Horses may come into the Ajax Stakes field via a number of different lead-up runs including the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) in late February or the Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes (Chipping Norton Stakes) (1600m) at the same meeting.
As well as the Doncaster Mile another Group 1 autumn target for horses out of the Ajax Stakes is the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) held a week earlier.
The form of the 2021 Ajax Stakes was franked with the runner-up Think It Over winning the George Ryder Stakes next-up before a fourth in that autumn’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes results and outstanding spring campaign in Sydney.
The 2022 Ajax Stakes form held when the runner-up Ellsberg went on to run third in that autumn’s Group 1 All Aged Stakes results before a spring return where he won the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) as well as the Five Diamond Prelude – Five Diamonds double.
In 2023 the Ajax Stakes winner Cepheus franked the form in the spring winning the Group 2 Shannon Stakes and $1.5 million Alan Brown before a second in the Big Dance race on Melbourne Cup Day in Sydney.
The Ajax Stakes 2026 ran on Saturday March 14, 2026 at Rosehill Gardens as a Doncaster Mile lead-up and was won first-up by the progressive Annabel & Rob Archibald-trained Cristal Clear ($5.50).
| 2026 Ajax Stakes | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday March 14, 2026 |
| Track: | Rosehill Racecourse |
| Distance: | 1500m |
| Race Type: | Quality Handicap (Low: 52kg – High: 61kg) |
| Status: | Group 2 |
| Prize Money: | $300,000 |
2026 Ajax Stakes Betting
The latest Ajax Stakes 2026 odds and betting market links to Ladbrokes.com.au on the Group 2 will be available here at Races.com.au the week of the race.
There was a notable upset in 2023 with Cepheus winning at Ajax Stakes of $15, while Iowna Merc also saluted at double figures when taking out the 2025 event at $11.
2026 Ajax Stakes Form
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2026 AJAX STAKES FORM GUIDE
2026 Ajax Stakes Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Ajax Stakes 2026 Tips on the Group 2 in Sydney this autumn.
To Win: No. 1 Globe
The 2026 Ajax looks a wide-open contest, but GLOBE (11) stands out as the class runner and the one to beat for mine despite lumping the 59kg topweight from a wide gate. The Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained seven-year-old resumes for the first time since his dominant Group 1 Might And Power victory at Caulfield last spring, where he put three lengths on a high-quality field including Treasurethe Moment. Freshened, down in grade and absolutely flying at the trials, he arrives ready to go after two sharp hit-outs — the latest a brilliant Randwick win on March 5, putting more than four lengths on Vivy Air. Drawn the outside but armed with a booming finish, he gets Tommy Berry aboard for the first time on race day after their trial success. If he brings anything like his spring form, he simply looks too good. Can win.
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10th
1. Globe (11)
J: Tommy Berry 59kg
T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr |
2026 Ajax Stakes Field
Each autumn the Ajax Stakes field attracts a quality line-up of middle-distance gallopers eyeing a Group 1 run later in the autumn and is released by Racing NSW on the Wednesday before Coolmore Classic Day.
The 2026 Ajax Stakes field and barriers are due for release on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below.
The Ajax Stakes 2026 final field features a small but impressive line-up of potential Doncaster Mile hopes including resuming Group 1 Caulfield Stakes winner Globe and the rails-drawn Chris Waller-trained Militarize looking to improve on his fourth fresh in the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup.
Click here to read more on the key runners in the 2026 Ajax Stakes field and betting markets.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13x0x2421x | GLOBE (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Tommy Berry | 11 | 59kg | 110 | ||
| 2 | 46x57523x4 | MILITARIZE (NZ) | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 1 | 57.5kg | 107 | ||
| 3 | 177x77320x | ROBUSTO | Bjorn Baker | Tim Clark | 5 | 57kg | 106 | ||
| 4 | 15×0702615 | SANDPAPER | Bjorn Baker | Jason Collett | 4 | 56.5kg | 105 | ||
| 5 | 048x576x10 | WILLAIDOW | Marc & Mitchell Conners | Chad Schofield | 7 | 56kg | 104 | ||
| 6 | 91x27720x1 | LORD PENMAN (NZ) | Chris Waller | Zac Lloyd | 10 | 53kg | 98 | ||
| 7 | x753424x32 | ENXUTO | Robbie Griffiths | Tyler Schiller | 2 | 53kg | 97 | ||
| 8 | x44111266x | CRISTAL CLEAR | Annabel & Rob Archibald | Braith Nock (a) | 3 | 53kg | 94 | ||
| 9 | 82169×9045 | WAR ETERNAL (NZ) | Bjorn Baker | Ms Rachel King | 9 | 53kg | 93 | ||
| 10 | x24183x7x7 | PORTLAND (IRE) | Matthew Smith | Kerrin McEvoy | 6 | 53kg | 90 | ||
| 11 | 1147×04269 | THUNDERLIPS | Bjorn Baker | Dylan Gibbons | 8 | 53kg | 90 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2026 Ajax Stakes Nominations
Early nominations for the Ajax Stakes in 2026 close the Monday of race week and will be made available below once confirmed.
2026 Ajax Stakes nominations extended until 11:00am (AEDT) – 10/03/2026
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6x00x120x3 | ARCTIC GLAMOUR | M | 5 | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | 105 |
| 2 | x44111266x | CRISTAL CLEAR | G | 4 | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 94 |
| 3 | x753424x32 | ENXUTO | G | 5 | Robbie Griffiths | 97 |
| 4 | 37x39667x6 | FIRESTORM (NZ) | M | 5 | Chris Waller | 100 |
| 5 | 13x0x2421x | GLOBE (NZ) | G | 7 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | 110 |
| 6 | 124x1155x2 | LAZZURA | M | 4 | Chris Waller | 109 |
| 7 | 91x27720x1 | LORD PENMAN (NZ) | G | 4 | Chris Waller | 98 |
| 8 | 46x57523x4 | MILITARIZE (NZ) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 107 |
| 9 | x24183x7x7 | PORTLAND (IRE) | G | 5 | Matthew Smith | 90 |
| 10 | 177x77320x | ROBUSTO | G | 6 | Bjorn Baker | 106 |
| 11 | 15×0702615 | SANDPAPER | G | 6 | Bjorn Baker | 105 |
| 12 | 10136x107x | SEA KING (GB) | G | 7 | Matthew Dunn | 102 |
| 13 | 1147×04269 | THUNDERLIPS | G | 5 | Bjorn Baker | 90 |
| 14 | 82169×9045 | WAR ETERNAL (NZ) | G | 7 | Bjorn Baker | 93 |
| 15 | 048x576x10 | WILLAIDOW | G | 7 | Marc & Mitchell Conners | 104 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Ajax Stakes History
The first recorded running of the Ajax Stakes took place in 1976 and was won by Count Rajan. Since then, there have only been two horses to win the event twice, Confiscate in 1998-99 and Catalan Opening in 1996-97. The fastest recorded winning time since 1990 was 1 minute 27.38 seconds by Soho Square in 1993. The slowest winning time was recorded by Windsor’s Pal in 1990.
The Ajax Stakes is named in honour of the Australian Hall of Fame horse Ajax. Ajax was a champion chestnut colt who won 18 races in succession and had a career of 43 starts for 36 wins, 7 seconds and 2 thirds with total prize money of £40,250. His major wins include the 1938 Cox Plate as well as the All Aged Stakes (1938, 1939, 1940), Memsie Stakes (1938, 1939, 1940), Futurity Stakes (1938, 1939, 1940) and Underwood Stakes (1938, 1939, 1940).
Recent Ajax Stakes Results
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Cristal Clear | 1 minute 29.62 seconds |
| 2nd | Robusto | ||
| 3rd | Enxuto | ||
| 2025 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Iowna Merc | 1 minute 28.84 seconds |
| 2nd | Willaidow | ||
| 3rd | West Of Africa | ||
| 2024 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Democracy Manifest | 1 minute 28.39 seconds |
| 2nd | Territory Express | ||
| 3rd | Detonator Jack | ||
| 2023 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Cepheus | 1 minute 28.96 seconds |
| 2nd | Waterford | ||
| 3rd | Caesars Palace | ||
| 2022 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Just Folk | 1 minute 31.52 seconds |
| 2nd | Ellsberg | ||
| 3rd | Kiku | ||
| 2021 Ajax Stakes | 1st | I Am Superman | 1 minute 27.91 seconds |
| 2nd | Think It Over | ||
| 3rd | Rock | ||
| 2020 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Imaging | 1 minute 35.60 seconds |
| 2nd | Yulong Prince | ||
| 3rd | Cascadian | ||
| 2019 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Fifty Stars | 1 minute 32.63 seconds |
| 2nd | Mask Of Time | ||
| 3rd | Dyslexic | ||
| 2018 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Comin’ Through | 1 minute 28.52 seconds |
| 2nd | Tom Melbourne | ||
| 3rd | Radipole | ||
| 2017 Ajax Stakes | 1st | It’s Somewhat | 1 minute 31.0 seconds |
| 2nd | New Tipperary | ||
| 3rd | Testashadow | ||
| 2016 Ajax Stakes | 1st | It’s Somewhat | 1 minute 28.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Excess Knowledge | ||
| 3rd | Dances On Stars | ||
| 2015 Ajax Stakes | 1st | First Seal | 1 minute 22.9 seconds |
| 2nd | Supara | ||
| 3rd | Slightly Sweet | ||
| 2014 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Messene | 1 minutes 28.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Weary | ||
| 3rd | Malavio | ||
| 2013 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Havana Rey | 1 minutes 29.6 seconds |
| 2nd | Riva De Lago | ||
| 3rd | Monton | ||
| 2012 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Niagara | 1 minutes 28.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Star of Octagonal | ||
| 3rd | Alma’s Fury | ||
| 2011 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Pureness | 1 minutes 30.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Mentality | ||
| 3rd | Lebrechaun | ||
| 2010 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Brilliant Light | 1 minute 28.53 seconds |
| 2nd | Centennial Park | ||
| 3rd | Mentality | ||
| 2009 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Zavite | 1 minute 28.75 seconds |
| 2nd | Kerdem | ||
| 3rd | Banana Man | ||
| 2008 Ajax Stakes | 1st | All Silent | 1 minute 29.17 seconds |
| 2nd | Friday Creek | ||
| 3rd | Bobadah | ||
| 2007 Ajax Stakes | 1st | High Cee | 1 minute 29.73 seconds |
| 2nd | Danleigh | ||
| 3rd | The Free Stater | ||
| 2006 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Malcolm | 1 minute 28.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Lantwin | ||
| 3rd | Utzon | ||
| 2005 Ajax Stakes | 1st | River To The Sea | 1 minute 27.75 seconds |
| 2nd | Daniel’s The Man | ||
| 3rd | This Manshood | ||
| 2004 Ajax Stakes | 1st | True Glo | 1 minute 28.74 seconds |
| 2nd | Gordo | ||
| 3rd | So Assertive | ||
| 2003 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Grand Armee | 1 minute 28.42 seconds |
| 2nd | Lord Essex | ||
| 3rd | Carael Boy | ||
| 2002 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Mowerman | 1 minute 27.91 seconds |
| 2nd | Make Me A Miracle | ||
| 3rd | Gordo | ||
| 2001 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Galiano | 1 minute 27.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Palladium Star | ||
| 3rd | Emission | ||
| 2000 Ajax Stakes | 1st | Normal Practice | 1 minute 28.43 seconds |
| 2nd | Beauchamp | ||
| 3rd | Old Man | ||
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